The sensational Mr B

At the start of the holiday season I had a list of books I wanted to read and I am now on my last one, Something Sensational To Read On The Train: The Diaries of a Lifetime by Gyles Brandreth. Truth is, I am a huge admirer of GB - his charm, his cheek and his sheer energy - and I am enjoying the book enormously. I am currently two-thirds of the way through and if there are no more interruptions (other than driving to Derbyshire) I hope to finish it today.

A few months ago I published on this blog an interview I did with Brandreth in 2003. What I didn't mention was that we did the interview in two parts - the first over coffee at the Langham Hotel opposite Broadcasting House in London, the second prior to his (then) Sunday afternoon programme on LBC.

After the interview Gyles invited me to join him on the programme. It was a round table format and it was all going rather well when he took me by surprise by asking his guests (there were four of us) to name the best film we had seen in recent weeks.

Needless to say my fellow guests all recommended art house movies that I had never heard of, let alone seen. When it came to my turn I was beginning to panic. In the previous two months I had only seen one film. I couldn't lie, especially as we had to explain our choice.

"Best film?" I muttered. "Hmmm, well, Gyles, that would have to be Monsters Inc."

I could sense the other guests staring at me. Gyles, to his credit, moved the discussion on seamlessly.

But I was never invited back.

PS. GB will be on tour with his critically acclaimed one man show from October. Warmly recommended.